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Swan Song
Poems of Extinction
By Wormell, Christopher
Publishers Summary:
- ISBN
- 978-1-56846-175-5
- Publisher
- Creative Editions
REVIEWS
School Library Journal
Reviewed on December 1, 2003
Gr 5-8 New Zealand's Chatham Island Swan, which sang its last song circa 1690, joins 8 other birds, 11 mammals, a fish, and a tortoise in this poetic tribute to species forced into extinction by humans. The book begins with European aurochs (extinct circa 1627) and concludes with Miss Waldron's Red Colobus monkey (extinct in Western Africa circa 2000). Many of the poems strike a melancholy tone, touching repeatedly on themes of greed and cruelty: "Humans sewed their eyes shut and nailed their feet/to a stand. When other b...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
